Flying Carpet Over Isfahan

United States US: Northeast
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#1

Welcome to the Atlas Obscura Community discussion of Flying Carpet Over Isfahan in Manhattan, New York. Ask questions or share travel tips, experiences, pictures, or general comments with the community. For the story behind this place, check out the Atlas Obscura entry:

#2

Nice article and it is often fun to find hidden treasures in exhibits like this. While you had to include it, I was a bit dismayed over the butt hurt of a minuscule offended few.

Flying carpets and for that matter Aladdin’s lamp are old Arabian stories that came together in A “Thousand and One Nights” but date to earlier times. and are part of the culture; hardly “colonialism” or whatever the cause of the imagined offense

It may not strictly speaking belong in a proper diorama but it is FUN and if not historically accurate in a literal sense, it is a culturally representative of the soul of the people

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#3

I have to agree, I do not see how the inclusion of the flying carpet has anything to do with colonialism. I think the offended are totally over-reacting. Loved the share and the article. This is on my list for “next time I’m in NY.”

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#4

I concur with rgrun.
Hardly “Cultural Appropriation” or “Imperialism” :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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#5

There are many things in our society that are genuinely offensive. Save the outrage for the things that matter.
I would like to point out, however, that Isfahan is in Iran, which is not an Arab country.

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#6

Just more knee-jerk overly ‘woke’ folk making woke into a joke. They need to redirect that energy productively.

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#7

Wait a minute, you mean flying carpets aren’t real?

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#8

New York City born & raised, and never knew about this. Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.

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#9

Thank the Higher Power for whimsey!

#10

These dioramas were made by my grandfather in the 70s. Well the good ones were, the shabby ones definitely not. These are the work of a master model maker, George Frederick Campbell, M.R.I.N.A. who also did the sail plans for the restoration of the clipper ship Cutty Sark and wrote the definitive work on the subject “China Tea Clippers” among others.

Anyone who thinks this is offensive is offensive to me. Let that soak in for a while and perhaps you’ll see how silly it is to ascribe motives to people you’ve never met and then go out of your way to be offended by them. It’s exactly what it’s supposed to be: an easter egg, and a little bit of whimsy. It was put there to delight young children such as myself (at the time).

These are some of the most masterfully made dioramas anywhere in New York and perhaps the world. You’ve cheated yourself out enjoying them if you engaged in this grudge collecting behavior.